Automata in the Modern Age

The early machines featured in this story are things of beauty, imagination, and elegance. The novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret, along with the film version by Martin Scorsese, has renewed interest in the mysterious and captivating creations known as automata: mechanical people made long before the computer age. BBC has a nice 5 minute video (stills and narration only) that shows how some craftsmen are breathing new life into them.

Thomas L. McDonald writes about technology, theology, history, games, and shiny things. Details of his rather uneventful life as a professional writer and magazine editor can be found in the About tab.